Hi! This is my first post so I am not sure if I am doing this correctly lol but I wanted some advice. I just found out that I failed my second calc 1 exam after a week and a half of studying. I am going to drop the class because there is no way that I will be able to pass with a C. Before I get more into it, I will introduce myself a bit. I am currently a sophomore pre-dental student. I transferred to a new school in the fall because I wanted a stronger STEM department and more STEM opportunities that I felt that my previous institution did not provide. I ended my freshman year with a 3.63 and took a full-year of general chemistry and biology. At my current institution, I was taking organic chemistry but unfortunately was failing due to certain circumstances so I chose to take a W. Since my school is smaller, certain classes are only offered during certain semesters (ex: gen chem 1 and 2 are only offered in the Fall, biochem is only offered in the Spring, etc), so when I dropped Orgo 1, I knew I would have to wait until my junior year fall semester to take it. Back to Calc 1, so I realized as a human biology major that my major does not require me to take calc 1 and most dental schools do not require it, so I do not care about dropping it, I just do not know if it is bad to have 2 Ws on my schedule now. I am really upset because I spend a lot of time studying and often times do not get the results I am looking for. My school also does not curve so there is really nothing to fall back on and my school has a rule where you cannot retake a class in the summer at a different institution if you passed, even if it is not passing for dental school. I am not worried about my GPA as I had a 3.97 last semester, but since I dropped orgo 1, I was not taking super rigorous classes. I just feel like a failure because I did decently well freshman year and now I feel like it is going downhill and I feel behind. It feels like no matter how hard I study I do bad which is really disappointing and I always feel like I am scraping bye. I really try my best but sometimes I know I can try harder and be more motivated at times, even though it is hard when I am constantly facing rejection. I am sorry for ranting I would just like some words of encouragement, tips or even some study tips that can help me succeed. I started using Anki for biology and that allowed me to get an A- but I feel that I will not be able to pass upper-level science classes (especially organic chemistry) when I keep facing rejection despite studying really hard and I am nervous about the Ws on my schedule, I feel like I look really dumb and as if I cannot handle rigorous classes which I guess is true unfortunately. Any tips of advice or words of encouragement? I know my life is not over but it feels like it especially when I see the stats that other people have. I just really don't want to give up on myself, I know I may not be the smartest, but I am passionate and have always wanted to be a dentist so I just feel really upset for not being able to perform well.
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I know having to take a couple of withdrawals probably sucks, and it can be frustrating feeling like you gave up. But I think you probably did the right thing. If you can go back and take those classes and succeed, it will help dental schools not doubt your ability. I'm not certain if schools count withdrawals on AADSAS or not, someone else might be able to hopefully clear that up.
Undergrad isn't easy, and sometimes we get a crappy hand dealt. Sometimes it's the professor, and sometimes other circumstances make classes difficult, but it's all part of life and this is a lesson to learn. You are capable of doing well, and you may just need to change your study habits. Maybe what works for one class might not work for another. Part of undergrad is to also learn how to be more efficient and learn how to study. It took me a while to learn what works best for me and for what classes. Plus I've struggled with some coursework too. But just because you can't handle a crappy orgo 1 doesn't mean you can't handle upper-level biology or biochemistry. It's more foundational and might help understand why proteins react in certain ways, but I digress ( I really haven't used gen chem or ochem much if not at all since taking the class other than needing to remember it for my DAT, which honestly wasn't bad at all).
Now is a good time to make sure you have a plan, make sure you have your coursework laid out, and you will graduate when you think you will. You still have a lot of time left, just try to take it easy and not be so hard on yourself.
I would fact-check Calc 1 though, I think schools do require at least one year of calculus, not necessarily Calc 2 (I know harvard does). I took calc 1 and bio-stats and didn't have any trouble but I am not sure if Algebra or Pre-calc will count. So I would check some school prereq pages and make sure you'd still be okay.
But anyways, keep your head up, you have plenty of time to display your understanding of science courses. Good luck and don't give up, if you want this you'll make it happen!
Undergrad isn't easy, and sometimes we get a crappy hand dealt. Sometimes it's the professor, and sometimes other circumstances make classes difficult, but it's all part of life and this is a lesson to learn. You are capable of doing well, and you may just need to change your study habits. Maybe what works for one class might not work for another. Part of undergrad is to also learn how to be more efficient and learn how to study. It took me a while to learn what works best for me and for what classes. Plus I've struggled with some coursework too. But just because you can't handle a crappy orgo 1 doesn't mean you can't handle upper-level biology or biochemistry. It's more foundational and might help understand why proteins react in certain ways, but I digress ( I really haven't used gen chem or ochem much if not at all since taking the class other than needing to remember it for my DAT, which honestly wasn't bad at all).
Now is a good time to make sure you have a plan, make sure you have your coursework laid out, and you will graduate when you think you will. You still have a lot of time left, just try to take it easy and not be so hard on yourself.
I would fact-check Calc 1 though, I think schools do require at least one year of calculus, not necessarily Calc 2 (I know harvard does). I took calc 1 and bio-stats and didn't have any trouble but I am not sure if Algebra or Pre-calc will count. So I would check some school prereq pages and make sure you'd still be okay.
But anyways, keep your head up, you have plenty of time to display your understanding of science courses. Good luck and don't give up, if you want this you'll make it happen!
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Welcome to the forums. Do you have better access to a prehealth advisor who knows about dental school admissions?
For what it's worth, you need to adjust to your new program if it is more science rigorous. It should have resources like a math tutoring desk or program, even for calculus 2. I also presume if this exists, you would have had a chance to take advantage. Maybe you have a learning center that can provide you different study strategies. You can study hard but not necessarily better.
Basically, you put yourself in a better position to learn science. Find the resources they offer to help you and your peers get there.
For what it's worth, you need to adjust to your new program if it is more science rigorous. It should have resources like a math tutoring desk or program, even for calculus 2. I also presume if this exists, you would have had a chance to take advantage. Maybe you have a learning center that can provide you different study strategies. You can study hard but not necessarily better.
Basically, you put yourself in a better position to learn science. Find the resources they offer to help you and your peers get there.
